One of the most arresting images from Belgian colonial history is the photograph of Nsala of Wala gazing at his daughter’s severed hand and foot, taken by English missionary and photographer Alice Seeley Harris in 1904. This disturbing image, capturing the atrocities of King Leopold II’s brutal regime in the Congo Free State (1885-1908), was not only a grim testament to the horrors of the rubber trade but also a powerful visual tool in the fight against colonial abuses. Projected during magic lantern lectures, Harris's photograph played a pivotal role in raising awareness of human rights violations under Leopold’s rule. These lectures were instrumental in building international pressure, which eventually forced the Belgian government to take control of the Congo from Leopold in 1908. However, the magic lantern was also employed to promote the Belgian imperialist agenda, particularly during scientific expeditions like the 1932 Ruwenzori mission, which sought to portray Belgian colonization as a benevolent and scientific endeavour.